Learn everything you need to know about setting up and running your own Wiccan coven—including how you can use aspects of astrology to help guide you—when you get The Witch's Circle (previously titled Circle of the Cosmic Muse) by Maria Kay Simms.

Although there are many excellent guides to setting up covens, The Witch's Circle is by far the most complete. It covers all of the theory and practice you need to run a coven:

The New Renaissance of spirituality and how it relates to astrological ages

The ethics and practice of contemporary Wicca

Magick: theory, healing, protection, raising energy, and more

The order and parts of ritual

Astrology and ritual

Rituals for the eight Sabbats

Full Moon rituals for a year: the astrological moons

Other rituals including: handfasting, memorials, healing, cleansing and charging a place, and more

How to find or start a circle

Making ritual accessories including robes, wreaths, masks, and wands

Herbs and oils

Music for ritual, including over two dozen songs and chants

The Witch's Circle is a serious Wiccan Book of Shadows that will teach you to incorporate the archetypes of astrology into your practice. Wicca and astrology together create a potent tool for understanding the dualities of the Wheel of the Year—and for expressing them in powerful new ways.

The Witch's Circle is the only book of rituals that uses the deep insights of astrology to unlock the ancient spiritual mysteries of Wicca. This unique joining of Wicca and astrology is key to deciphering the hidden symbolism of Wicca and enriching your spiritual practice.

Written by a High Priestess-astrologer of an active Wiccan coven, the living rituals presented in The Witch's Circle are the first of their kind. You can practice them to express the vital energy underlying each Pagan celebration—and to experience Wicca more fully than you ever have before.

With its focus on fun and frivolity, it's no wonder Beltane is one of the most festive Sabbats of the year for many modern Pagans. Held each year on or around May 1st, Beltane is a celebration of vitality, fertility, strength, and growth reflecting a blending of many traditions. It gets its name from the pre-Christian Celtic Bealtaine, which... read this article